Folding door structure



Dec. 1, 1959 R. w. REYNOLDS 2,915,114

FOLDING nooR STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 3l, 1957 PI.l

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Rm ff/ W. Rar/vu os.

Dec. l, 1959 R. w. REYNOLDS 2,9l5.,1 14 FOLDING nooR STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 3l, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. Kem/r /K ffm/a as.

United States Patent-O FOLDING DOOR STRUCTURE Ralph W. Reynolds, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Holcomb & Hoke Mfg. Co., Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation Application October 31,` 1957, Serial No. 693,688

Claims. (Cl. 160-84) f. This invention relates generally to folding door structures, and more particularly toa door structure adapted to travel along a curved or arcuate track.

While folding doors or closures are in widespread use, difficulties have been encountered in providing a folding door structure which c an be made to assume a curved coniiguration. Curved Vdoors of this type are desirable where vit is necessaryto. follow architectural contours in such rooms as restaurants, lobbies, etc. Paramount requirements for such a folding door structure are that the door vmust operate as smoothly on its curved track as does a conventional folding ydoor on a straight track, and

that the structure permit satisfactory operation of the door on curved tracks 'of relatively small radius.

The principal object of the present invention is vto provide a folding closure or door structure which is characterized by smoothness and ease of operation as the door is extended or folded along a curved track.

j A further objectwof the present invention is to provide a folding door structure operable on .a track of relatively small radius, for example, a radius of the order of three feet.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:l j

Fig. 1l is atop plan view of `a closure structure embodying the present invention, with the trolley structure broken away,l and the overhead track shown in broken lines to indicatel its curved configuration. l f Fig. 2 is a side View of the structure shown in Fig. l, including the jtrack and trolley.

Fig. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of certain of the closure structure components.

Referring initially 'to Fig. 2, there is shown a track 10 which may have' the curved configuration indicated by broken lines in Fig. l. The track may be formed by a rectangular,- tubular member having a central, longitudinal slot 11 along its underside. The marginal edge of the'tubular member may be inturned along the central slot to provide spaced channels 12.

' The channels accommodate spaced rollers 13 rotatably mounted at 14 on the upper end of a hinge pintle member 16 whose further function will be subsequently described. f

lrI'he closure structure proper includes an upper hinge structure indicated generally at 17 and the lower hinge structure indicated fat 18, which are functionally joined by means of common pivot members 19. The com- A' ponents of the upper hinge structure and the lower hinge structure are identical in configuration and assembly. Only 'an intermediate portion of the hinge structure is shown since this-issuiicient todescribe the present invention. It will be understood, however, that thecomplete5 door structure is provided with a conventional lead post and fixed jamb (not shown).

The upper hinge structure is comprised of two sequentially connected series of hinge plates with each series including alternately a full length hinge plate and two I 2,915,114 .i patented Dec. l, 1,959

half length hinge plates.. Referring to the specific hinge plates making up one of the series, it will be noted that the full length plate v21 is formed at one end so as to provide spaced pivot member receiving bearings 22.

As maybest be'seen in Fig..2, the upper hinge plate 21 is provided with aninclined area 23 adjacent its center line, and the portion of the hinge plate forming: the inclined portion is shaped so as to provide semicircular pintle receiving bearing members .24 adapted toreceive the pintle 25. The endof the full length .plate opposite the bearing members 22 is formed so as toprovide bearing members 26 identical to the members 22 and adapted also to receive a pivot member 19. f f- As will be evident from Fig. 2, the bearing members `22 carried by the hinge plate accommodate the forward pivot member19 and the bearing members 26 carried by the plate accommodate the rear pivot member 19a, which is identical to pivot member 19, -but is hidden `in Fig. 2. The components of -the hinge series furtherinclude a `half length plate 27, formed at one of its ends to provide pivot member receiving bearings which are interfitted with the bearing members 26 carried by the hinge plate 21 and accommodate the pivot member 19a. At its opposite end the'half length hinge plate 27 is provided with a single bearing member 31, which may be welded thereto for receiving the pintle 16.

The hinge series continues with a second half length hinge plate 33, having a bearing member 34 accommodating the pintle 16. The other endof the hinge plate 33 is formed so as to provide dual'spaced bearing members 36 accommodating a forward pivot member 19. These vlast mentioned bearing members are intertted with ythe modate the pintle 41. This hinge `series then-continues with a half hinge 42, identical in configuration and disposition to half hinge plate 33. The half hinge plate. 42

i is pivotally. joined to the full hinge plate 38 by means of rear pivot member 19a as previously described with reference to full plate 21 and half plate 27. As will .be apparent from Fig. l, the hinge plate series referredto may be continued as desired with full hingeplates alternating with two pivotally connected half plates.

The other hinge series is formed and interconnected identically with that of the hinge series just-described and includes full length hinge plate 46 pivotally supported at its transverse center line by the pintle 25.

All of the full length hinge plate members areprovided'with cutaway areas d ened, for example, by the curved surfaces 47 on the hinge plate 21 and the'curved surfaces 48 on the hinge plate 46. These cutaway portions permit intertting of the full hinge plates `to deiin'e the overall depth of the-assembled ture.

This second hinge' plate series continues with a half length hinge .plate member 4.9,V being pivotally joined with the full plate 46 by a forward pivot member 19. A single bearing member 51 carried by the half plate 49 pivotally joins the half plate to the pintle 16.

rI'he hinge series referred to continues vwith a half hinge plate 52, pivotally joined to the pintle 16 by means of a bearing member 53 carried byfthe half plate. The other end of the half plate 52 'is pivotally connected, by means of a rear pivotfmember 19a to the next full length plate 54 which is centrally pivoted on the pintle v41 and is intertted with the adjacent'full plate 38. This hinge yseries may be continued as described with full length full hinge plate strucn .All of the half hinge plates of both series are provided with cutaway areas delined, for example, by the curved surface 49a Von the half plate 49. These cutaway portions :permit interlitting ofthe half liinge plates to define fthe overall depth of thefassembled'half"hingeplate struc- ^ture.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that both the upper andl lower hinge structures are yformed by two regularly intersecting hinge plate series having vcommon pivotal connections at their ends. Each of the hinge members may be provided with longitudinal stiiening ribs,fsuch as indicated at 56 in Fig. 2. It will be understood that all of the hinge plates mayv carry one or more such ksti'lfening ribs, the ribs being shown on only one hinge set to prevent obscuring other more important parts of the hinge assembly.

Each of the hinge plates may be provided with keyshaped apertures 57 to receive fasteners which support covering material, not shown herein, which extends between the upper and lower 'hingestructures and will con- `form tothe disposition of the pivot members 19 and 19a,

i as 'determined-by the closure, in its movement between extended and folded position. It will be understood that the hinge plates are provided with as many apertures 57 as are necessary to support the covering material, only one such aperture being shown on one set of hinge plates so as not to obscure the other more important portions of the hinge structure.

In operation, referring principally to Fig. l, it will be apparent that as the closure is moved into its extended position, the generallyV horizontal span between the ends of full hinge plates 46 and 21, for example, will lengthen, the span referred to being that measured on the convex sideof the track. Similarly, the span, measured on the concave side of the track, between the ends of the -ull plates 46 and'21, will increase by the same amount. Because of the curvature of the track, as the hingle structure is extended, the'spacing between the ends of the half hingle plates 27 and 52, for example, must increase and the spacing between the ends of the' half hinge plates 49 and '33 must decrease. The independent'pivotal sup- Vportof each of the half hinge plates upon the pintle 16 will permit the half plates 27 and 52 to move apart to vprovide the increased span required on Vthe convex side of the closure. Similarly, the half hinge plates '49 and 33 will move toward each other so as to provide the decreased span required on the concave side of the closure.

The other full hinge plates and half hinge plates move in similar fashion as the hinge structure is extended. It may thus be :seen that vupon extension of the hinge strueture in an arcuate path, adjacent half length hinge plates are pivotally displaced relative to each other to accommodate the resulting increase'in span ofthe full length hinge plates. This action of the hinge structure permits therollers to smoothly track along the supporting chant nels.

"As previously mentioned, the lower hinge structure is identical to the upper hinge structure and accommodates Vthe pivot members 19 and 19a which are common to both the upper and lower hinge structures.

VWhile the invention has been disclosed and described in ksor'ne detail in the drawings and foregoing description,

they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scopeiof the invention, reference being hadkto .the appended claims.

member and two'half length members, the two series of `members 'being arranged so as to intersect each other at regular intervals -and having common pivotal connections at said intersections, said pivotal connections alternately joining full length members and half length members, whereby upon extension of said closure structure in an arcuate path adjacent half length members are pivotally displaced relative to each other to accommodate the resulting increase in span of said full length members.

2. An extensible and `collapsible closure structure adapted to move in an arcuate path comprising in combination an upper hinge structure and a lower hinge structure, each hinge structure including two sequentially connected series of hinge plate members, each series including alternately a full length member and, two half length members, the two series of members being arranged so as to intersect each other lat regular intervals and having common pivotal connections at said intersections, said pivotal connections alternately joining full length members and half length members, whereby upon extension of said closure structure in an arcuatepathadjacent half length members are pivotally displaced relative to each other to accommodate the resulting increase in span of said full length members, and pivot members at the point of juncture of each half length member with a full length member, said pivot members being common to both the upper and lower hinge structures.

3. An extensible and collapsible closure structure adapted to move in an arcuate path comprising in combination two sequentially connected series of hinge plate members, each series including alternately a full length member and two half length members, the two series 'of members being arranged so as to intersect each other at regular intervals and having common pivotal connections atisaid intersections, said pivotal connections alternately joining full length members and half length members, la supporting trolley structure carried at the pivotal connections joining the half length members of each of said series, whereby upon extension of said closure structure in an arcuate path adjacent half length members are pivotally displaced relative to each other to accommodate the resulting increase in span of said full length members.

. 4. An extensible and collapsible closure structure adapted to move in an arcuate path comprising in combination two sequentially connected series .of hinge plate members, each `series including alternately a full length member and two half length members, the two series of members being arranged so as to intersect each other at regular intervals and having common pivotal connections at said intersections, said pivotal'connections alternately joining full length members and half length members, whereby upon extension of said closure` structure in an arcuate path adjacent half length members are pivotally displaced relative to each other to accommodate the resulting increase in span of said full length members, said full length members having intertting notched portions adjacent their intersections dening the total depth of both hinge series, said half length members having intertitting notched portions adjacent their intersections and pivot `bearings of reduced height to thereby maintain uniform said total hinge series depth.

5. An extensible and collapsible closure struc-ture adapted to move in an arcuate path comprisingin combination two sequentially connected series of hinge'plate members, each series including alternately a full length member and two half length members, the twoseries of members being arranged so as to intersect each other at regular intervals and having common pivotal connections at said intersections, said pivotal connections alternately joining full length members and half length members, a supporting trolley structure carried at thepivotal connections joining the half length members of each of said series, whereby upon extension of said closure structure in an arcuate path adjacent half length members are `pivotally displaced relative to each other'to accommodate the resulting increase in span of said full length mem- -bers, said full length members having linterlitting notched portions adjacent their intersections defining the total depth ofboth hinge series, said half length members having intertting notched portions adjacent their intersections and pivot bearings of reduced height to thereby maintain uniform said total hinge series depth.

References Cited in y`the. flle of lthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

